I put on a kinda sorta Open Hearth cooking demonstration for Factory Days at Sweetwater Creek State Park. Since we were out of open hearths, I really did a Dutch Oven cooking demonstration. I got a lot of help from the Primitive Skills group, and picked up a book printed by The Atlanta Historical Association called Tullies Receipts.
Brunswick Stew, Mary Stuart Smith, from the “Virgina
Cookery-Book” published in 1885
This stew is famed for its excellence throughout the State, and takes its name from the county where it
originated and is found in perfection. Squirrel forms its basis, and hence it is especially the huntsman's dish, and seen most often during the early fall, when the squirrels throng and fatten in the corn-fields, and vegetables are still plentiful.
For eight or ten persons allow four squirrels, skinned and well cleaned ; cut them up into six pieces each, and as early in the morning as possible put them on the fire in a covered stewpan, with a seasoning of salt and pepper, both red and black, and an onion chopped up fine.
After the meat has cooked for several hours withdraw it from the fire, and extract as many of the bones as it is practicable to do ; then return it to the fire, adding some of every vegetable that you can get, except rice as there must be none of that. Especially see that there is a pint of green corn, cut from the cob, a quart of tomatoes, half a pint of Lima beans, a pint of Irish potatoes, one cucumber, one cymling, one carrot, and half a pint of okra. Cut them all up into small pieces ; cover your stewpan up closely, and, adding a good table-spoonful of butter, let the stew cook gently, without burning, until dinner is to
be dished, when it should have cooked until the ingredients of which it is made cannot be distinguished
the one from the other. When done the gravy should be nearly absorbed. Serve in a regular plated stew-dish that is kept heated by an alcohol-lamp ; but if you have not this convenience, arrange the stew in the centre of a meat-dish, and garnish with rings of carrot and sprigs of any green herb you fancy.
A Brunswick stew may also be concocted in a similar fashion from a cold joint of mutton, beef, or veal, and is a very popular dish wherever introduced. It has been served at gentlemen's dinner-parties instead of soup.
Since small-game season is over, and I'm short on squirrels, I substituted chicken.
Brunswick Stew, Mary Stuart Smith, from the “Virgina
Cookery-Book” published in 1885
This stew is famed for its excellence throughout the State, and takes its name from the county where it
originated and is found in perfection. Squirrel forms its basis, and hence it is especially the huntsman's dish, and seen most often during the early fall, when the squirrels throng and fatten in the corn-fields, and vegetables are still plentiful.
For eight or ten persons allow four squirrels, skinned and well cleaned ; cut them up into six pieces each, and as early in the morning as possible put them on the fire in a covered stewpan, with a seasoning of salt and pepper, both red and black, and an onion chopped up fine.
After the meat has cooked for several hours withdraw it from the fire, and extract as many of the bones as it is practicable to do ; then return it to the fire, adding some of every vegetable that you can get, except rice as there must be none of that. Especially see that there is a pint of green corn, cut from the cob, a quart of tomatoes, half a pint of Lima beans, a pint of Irish potatoes, one cucumber, one cymling, one carrot, and half a pint of okra. Cut them all up into small pieces ; cover your stewpan up closely, and, adding a good table-spoonful of butter, let the stew cook gently, without burning, until dinner is to
be dished, when it should have cooked until the ingredients of which it is made cannot be distinguished
the one from the other. When done the gravy should be nearly absorbed. Serve in a regular plated stew-dish that is kept heated by an alcohol-lamp ; but if you have not this convenience, arrange the stew in the centre of a meat-dish, and garnish with rings of carrot and sprigs of any green herb you fancy.
A Brunswick stew may also be concocted in a similar fashion from a cold joint of mutton, beef, or veal, and is a very popular dish wherever introduced. It has been served at gentlemen's dinner-parties instead of soup.
Since small-game season is over, and I'm short on squirrels, I substituted chicken.
Why, it's practically raw.
